Traveling without an itinerary is a route that even those who enjoy making plans can take.
Too many travelers plan their trip from start to finish and leave no time in between. This post will give you all the reasons to keep your travel schedule more flexible.
Planning your travel itinerary may give you some security, but that doesn't always mean you'll get the most out of your trip.
Whether you're a first-time traveler, a seasoned traveler, or someone somewhere in between, sometimes you should consider keeping your travel itinerary light and breezy.
Advantages of traveling without an itinerary
1. Additional information about Random Adventures
Any experienced traveler knows all too well that one of the best things about traveling is the little adventures you get to discover yourself.
If you have a travel itinerary planned, you probably don't have much time to get lost or randomly find cool things to do.
When you travel or stay in a hostel, you will often meet new people. If you get along well enough, they may invite you on adventures you might not have otherwise considered, or they may push you out of your comfort zone.
Imagine you are traveling to a destination and you end up meeting some people and they are taking a road trip to another part of the country. You may be asked to participate for a short period of time, and if you have a tight schedule, you may miss this opportunity.
destinations such as Paro is worth a visit Purely because it is a great base from which to explore surrounding areas such as the Algarve and Alentejo regions. Sometimes you just want to spend a few days in a place like this before moving on to the next step.
If your schedule is tight, you may find that you can't afford to go on other spontaneous adventures.
I believe we should always be open to new experiences. If you plan to stay in a hostel while traveling, you never know who you might meet or what opportunities might come your way.
2. Less tired
When planning a travel itinerary for a destination, there are often many things you want to see and do. Because of this, your travel itinerary will likely be so packed with things to do that it will likely leave you with little time to relax and explore your destination.
It's very easy to cram as much as possible, especially when visiting a large, populous city. Various tourist attractions such as NYC.
We've all been there and come back more exhausted than when we left.
You need to maintain a healthy balance of exploration and relaxation for yourself.
If you want to plan your itinerary, make sure to leave some extra time to relax and avoid being overtired.
You might not be as tired as you expected and end up spending that time sightseeing. But if you allow yourself this extra time, you can do it at your own pace and other interesting opportunities may arise.
3. Plans may change
Similar to the first two reasons for traveling without an itinerary, you never know what you might find when you travel.
Instead of planning a packed tourist trip that will leave you exhausted, you may find that you actually need a trip to relax and wander around. There's no problem with that.
When you're backpacking and moving from destination to destination, you'll often meet travelers who will give you recommendations.
If you travel on a tight schedule with pre-booked flights, buses, and trains, you may miss out on hidden gems.
Likewise, you may find yourself visiting a place you don't enjoy and want to leave sooner. This will be more difficult to do if you are tied up with other travel plans.
There have been cases where a traveler arrived at their destination and it was not at all what they expected. If you've booked your next destination, you might be stuck in a place you don't like until your next destination.
Or, you might end up hating the place so much that you decided to leave early anyway and end up losing the money you spent on other travel plans.
Of course, if you visit some places, such as Mexico, you may be required to show proof of international travel, so this cannot be avoided. But unless it's absolutely necessary, try to keep your future travel plans as light as possible to give yourself more flexibility.
4. You can feel less stressed.
If you plan to visit a tourist attraction and there are too many people, your next trip will be delayed. This can cause unnecessary stress when you're just trying to have fun.
The last thing you want is to pay to visit a beautiful place and feel stressed. You'll still feel like you're in the office and pressed against deadlines. Don’t do this to yourself, be free!
No one wants to be stressed out about missing their flight when they should be out and having fun. One of the advantages of traveling without an itinerary is that you know that almost everything is planned out there and then you can do and feel in the moment.
5. No time constraints
If you have a schedule to adhere to while traveling, you will also have a lot of different timings to meet.
Without an itinerary, you're free to spend as much time as you want at a particular attraction without having to worry about moving on to the next item on the list.
This allows you to have a little adventure like I mentioned earlier. This doesn't mean you shouldn't book specific tours you want to do, but try not to take too much time in a day to explore every nook and cranny of your destination.
Disadvantages of traveling without an itinerary
1. Anxious travelers may feel stressed.
If you're the type of traveler who hasn't planned an upcoming trip or is anxious about what to do while you're there, traveling without an itinerary can be stressful.
Traveling without an itinerary is not for everyone, as some people feel anxious due to the completely valid uncertainty.
All we can say is, try to leave some space or free time for spontaneous exploration so you don't feel overwhelmed by all these exciting travel plans.
If it's your first time traveling, not having an itinerary can feel a bit daunting, so try to travel however you feel comfortable.
For new travelers, we recommend booking the first part of your trip and checking out how to travel. If everything goes as planned, feel free to plan the rest of your trip.
But you can keep an open mind and enjoy a more loose itinerary, or you can just get up and see what happens each day.
2. You may miss your opportunity
While traveling, there may be certain activities or places you really want to visit within the country. If you leave things to the last minute, you may miss the opportunity to do them.
If you're traveling to certain countries during peak season, tours and activity bookings can fill up quickly.
Leaving your travel itinerary free can mean you miss out on these things if you decide it's something you want to do too late.
3. Prices can get expensive
Similar to the final downside to traveling without an itinerary, if you decide there is something you want to do at the last minute, the cost of that tour, activity, or subsequent flight may increase.
To be fair, this is a risk we all take when traveling, especially when it comes to flying. After you book a flight to your destination at a certain price, the price may drop a week later. Conversely, if you wait to book until payment is received, the price may go up!
Not everything you book last minute is more expensive, but you should consider this when deciding your travel style for a particular trip.
4. Feeling like you have less control
For some people, not having a travel itinerary can make them feel like they have no control over their travel experience. This can cause anxiety and worry, especially if you are planning a multi-city trip.
If you're planning a trip to multiple cities, it may be helpful to arrange flights or transportation to each location for more control.'
If you want to manage your trip better, keep in mind to keep your itinerary light. You may want to change your plans, or, as mentioned in The Advantages of Traveling Without an Itinerary, you may want to stay in your destination or leave your destination early.
For these scenarios, if you want to keep a loose travel itinerary but still have some control over your plans, you may want to look into flexible bookings or refundable flights. This way you have the best of both worlds and can change your plans if you want.
5. Options may be limited.
Especially for first-time travelers, traveling without an itinerary can leave you with no choice because you haven't made any plans.
The worst-case scenario could include not booking accommodation and having nowhere to stay. This is unusual, as each destination typically has a wide variety of accommodation options, but it can happen.
We believe you should travel without an itinerary, but once you've decided to go to a specific destination, it's always a good idea to go with pre-booked accommodation.
Another part of this is that if you leave it to the last minute to book accommodation, you may find yourself having to stay somewhere more expensive than your budget allows.
Should you travel without an itinerary or not?
If you are planning your next trip, I hope this information is helpful. Many people prefer to use travel itineraries. That's why we want to share with you the pros and cons of traveling without a smartphone.
Everyone is different and you may find that traveling on your own schedule is a bit safer and easier to adjust to.
In an ideal world, you'd want to travel with some schedule, but keep things loose and flexible.
It's a good idea to book accommodation and flights to your destination in advance and plan the rest as you travel.
It's also worth researching the destination you're visiting. In some areas, you may not be allowed entry unless you have booked accommodation during your stay in the country, so you may need to show this upon entry.
In these scenarios, you'll need to plan your itinerary more around where you've booked your stay. This does not apply if you have not booked a place where refunds and cancellations are possible.
Some people find traveling without an itinerary much less stressful. Because essentially you wake up and decide from there what you want to bring with you that day or just go with the flow. But the flip side of that is that booking a last-minute plan can mean it's a little more expensive.
The best way is to research the country you'll be traveling to, decide how much planning you need to do, and take it from there.
Whether you travel with an itinerary or without an itinerary, both are amazing ways to travel. Because you still get to make the most of the amazing country you’re visiting.
If you're not sure if traveling without an itinerary is right for you, the only thing you can do is give it a try and see how it goes.
However you decide to travel, remember to make the most of your travel experience and seize as many opportunities as possible!
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Amy Curtis and Liam Forret are running. Plain2Plane
Keep reading: A Beginner's Guide to Minimalism